Pipe coupling



April 15 1924.

1,490,082 F. 0. BALL PIPE COUPLING Filed April 28. 1922 patented Apr.E5, 192%,

httytl 116K 0. B, OE DE'EIT, EZXGM.

FIFE CQUPLIH.

Application filed April 28, 1222. Serial l lr@o 557m To all whom it mayconcern:

Be it known that l, FREDERICK 0. BALL,

a citizen of the United States, residing at Detroit, in the county ofWayne and State 5 of Michigan, have invented new and useful Improvementsin Pipe Couplings, of

which the following is a specification.

This invention is designed to make a tight joint, particularly suchjoints as are used for connections of pipes carrying gasoline such asare commonly used on automobiles and under similar conditions. known itis very difiicult to make a joint which may be quickly and convenientlyassembled and which will assure a tight oint as against gasoline. It ispreferable also to make such joints so that they may be taken apart andre-assembled with an assurance of a tight joint on the reassembling. 2cThe present invention is designed to form such a joint. The invention isillustrated in the accompanying drawings as follows Fig. 1 shows acentral section through the joint.

F ig. 2 a section on the line 2-2 in Fig. l.

1 marks the pipe formin part of the gasoline connection, and 2 aligating to which it"is desired to connect the pipe, the fitting havinga passage 3 in continuation of the pipe. A socket 4 is formed in thefitting 2. This is vscrew-threaded at 5. A packing 6 is placed in thesocket and a pressure member 7 is screwed into the screw-threads 5against the asking 6.

The packing 6 is formed of soft metal, such as Babbitt metal, and thisunder pressure flows so as to close any indenture and particularly alongitudinal scratch on the pipe. It also flows so as to make a perfectjoint with the bottom of the socket 4. The

. use of such a metal'for such a joint arises from the difficulty inremovin it as the flowing of the metal would or inarily expand it intoengagement with the walls of the socket l and the slightly unevensurface. of such wall would prevent the ready removal of the packing.

In my invention, therefore, I surround the As is well' packing with ashell 8 of thin steel, or comparatively hard material. The compressionmember has a. cylindrical extension 9 which can follow into this shellin compressing the packing. This shell makes a fairly close sliding fitwith the socket so that when the packing is subjected to pressure itsexpensive pressure will expand the shell against the walls of the socketthus assisting in the closure. When, however, this pressure is removedthis shell is suiiiciently elastic to contract slightl the ready removalof t e packing as a whole. The packing is formed with the Babbitt metaland shell as a. unit.

Different arrangements of-the fitting and the comgression socket may beused.

What. claim as new is 1. In a pipe coupling, the combination of afitting having a joint socket; a packing of comparatively soft metalhaving a pipe opening therein; an annular hard elastic metal shellsurrounding the soft metal packing between the packing and the wall ofthe socket; and a compression member acting on the packing to seal thejoint, said compression member expanding the soft metal and through itsexpansive pressure expanding the shell into contact with the wallof thesocket, said surrounding shell havin sufiicient elasticity with relationtovthe so metal to contract throu h its elasticity when pressure isreleased member to loosen the shell from the walls of the socket wherebythe packing may be removed from the socket.

2. A joint packing of comparatively soft metal having a pipe receivingopening therein encased in a surrounding shell of hard elastic metal,said shell having sufficient elasticity to expand under pressurecxertcdby a compression of the soft metal and to retract against the inherentresistance of the soft metal when pressure on the soft metal isreleased.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

FREDERICK 0. BALL.

y the compression so as ,to permitfof

